Falling
by Caskett Hopeful
Summary: Takes up at the moment when Kate is hanging from the roof. What is Ryan had shown up one second too late? sort of AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own CASTLE ... unfortunately**

**This story starts when Kate is hanging on the roof. It doesn't take into account anything that happened after that on the show or this incredible promo that had all of us forgetingt to breathe.**

* * *

She was going to die. She was sure of that. She was going to fall flat on the floor before she had a chance to tell Rick she loved him. He had walked away, now she knew why. He couldn't take it. Her getting in danger voluntarily. She couldn't keep doing that! She tried to get a better hold of the rooftop but her right hand slipped.

When you know you're about to die, they say your life flashes before your eyes. It's not entirely true. As far as Kate Beckett was concerned, she saw the life she wouldn't have. She saw her partner, she saw a wedding and babies. Beautiful Castle babies running everywhere. When she felt the tears running down her cheeks, she realized it was over. Her life was over. Just because she couldn't listen to people telling her she was wrong and obey orders.

"KATE!" she heard.

It was him. He had come! He was here to save her, like always. When he got her, she would kiss him senseless, she doesn't care if he wanted it or not. He wouldn't have a choice. She would kiss him like she'd never kissed anyone before.

"Castle! Castle I'm here!" she yelled, waiting for him to come and save her.

She got agitated yelling for him and she felt her left hand slip further. She didn't have any strength left in her fingers. It was already a miracle that she had held on as long as she had. She heard footsteps. They were running toward her but she couldn't do it anymore. She just couldn't. One by one, she saw her fingers give up. The tears were coming stronger, her heart was beating in her ears, she became even more agitated as she realized that this was it. It was going to be the end of Kate Beckett.

She saw the hands stretch over the edge but it was too late. She was too far down the side of the building to catch it. Her body going in full protection mode, she lost consciousness before hitting the ground.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Kevin Ryan had never run so fast in his entire life. He went up the stairs of the hotel at light speed until he found Esposito regaining consciousness. He went to him but he was cut short.

"Kate. Roof. Maddox." Javier said, panic clear in his eyes.

When Ryan got on the roof, he couldn't see anything. He called for her, praying to God that she would respond. And she did! He rushed to where the call was coming from. Then it all happened in a couple of seconds.

He got to the edge just as her hand let go. He dove on the ground to catch her but he was too late. He saw her face when she realized she was going to die. He would never get this image out of his mind. He saw her eyes go wide, panic filling them before she passed out.

"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE !" he yelled over the edge.

He heard a loud thump and looked carefully over the edge, terrified at the idea of what he was going to see. She had landed on the top of a delivery truck that was parked here. Given her position, he could tell that almost everything would be broken but there might be a slight chance that she was still alive.

He turned around, got back on his feet, pushed Gates out of his way and run back down the stairs, even faster than he had gone up.

Once he arrived in the street, he ran around the corner and found people gathering around the truck. He pushed them, yelling to call 911 and got up on the hood to get to her. She was not moving. He carefully walked around her and knelt. Her head was badly angled and he reached for neck, checking her pulse. She was breathing! Barely, but she was alive! When he heard the sirens, all his emotions broke loose and he sobbed, like a child, next to his friend's inanimate body.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Richard Castle was a bit depressed. He had left the woman he loved. He had just witness his daughter giving the most beautiful graduation speech of all. She was right. Everything was changing. And he had to move on.

He went to his office and turned on his smart board. Here she was, laughing, in the middle of the screen. He wanted to see her so bad. He wanted to go find her and kiss her senseless. Maybe then she would understand how much she means to him. Meant. How much she meant to him. Past tense. Oh who was he kidding! Of course it was present tense! How could it be otherwise? How could he just decide to stop loving her? He couldn't just switch his feelings off. He loved her. More than he had ever loved anyone before. But he needed her to understand that he just couldn't let her throw her life away. He understood her desire for justice but not at the cost of her life. He didn't know her but he was sure it was not what Johanna Beckett would have liked for her daughter.

He deleted the file concerning the case and sat down at his desk. He had asked her to stop. He would stop too. He was done with secrets. They had hurt too many people for far too long. He would go and see her tomorrow and make things clear. What he was feeling, what he wanted for the two of them.

Just as he was thinking about the way to bring it up, his cell phone rang. He was going to pick up when his home phone rang. At the same time, someone was pounding on his front door and yelling for him.

He ran to the door and came face to face with Captain Victoria Gates. He took a step back. This could not be a social call. This could not be a good thing for her to be here. She seemed shocked. Her face was … human. Not the mask she put on at the precinct.

"Richard ..."

Oh my God, this was really bad. She would never have called him by his first name for any reason. And he was sure he saw tears gathering in her eyes but she stubbornly pushed them back in.

"Kate?" he said.

There was only one reason why the Captain would show up at his door. Gates nodded and took him by the arm.

"Let's get going. She'll need you."

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**So, what do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

When they arrived at the hospital, Rick didn't know what to do, what to say, where to go. If you asked his name, he wouldn't know what to answer. He is in complete shock. He hadn't talked on the way to the hospital and Gates was kind of worried about him. It's not like him not to talk. She had thought he would be asking her questions non stop on the way about what happened, how Kate was … but he didn't talk. She had looked at him occasionally. He had seemed lost, lonely, and completely shocked. Gates had always known that the two of them were close but maybe she had underestimated the link between the detective and the writer. It seemed to be much stronger than she had expected.

She got him to the right waiting room and made him sit down. Once he was settled, she talked to him.

"Richard? Richard? CASTLE!" she yelled when he didn't respond to his own name.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Are you ok? Do you need anything?" Gates asked, sitting on the chair next to him.

"Why are you nice?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why are you nice? You're usually mean." Rick said, looking at her.

"I'm not mean. I am the boss." Gates said, glaring at him.

"Oh my God, what happened? Why did you bring me here? Is Kate ok?" Rick suddenly asked, as if he had just realized where he was.

"There's been … an accident. She is in surgery right now." Gate said, looking at her hands.

"How bad is it?"

"I don't know. But from what I saw, I guess it's going to be pretty bad. She … she was barely breathing when the ambulance arrived and ..."

"What happened?" Rick asked angrily, getting up from the chair he was sitting on and pacing. "WHAT HAPPENED?" he yelled when Gates didn't answer.

"I don't know the whole story yet but … Detective Beckett fell from the rooftop of a hotel downtown. Detective Ryan tried to catch her but he was too late. She fell on a delivery truck."

"She fell off a ROOF?" Rick shouted.

"Calm down and sit." Gates ordered in her best Captain voice.

He went back to his chair and took his head between his hands. He could not believe it. How could someone fall off a roof? What had happened up there. Why was she alone?

"Where are the boys?" he suddenly asked, noticing their absence fir the first time.

"They're getting checked up. It shouldn't take too long." Gates said.

"What happened to them?"

"Esposito was knocked out. Nothing too bad. But Ryan … he's in shock. And he blames himself for her fall." Gates explained. "Your ME friend is with Esposito and I called Ryan's wife before I went to get you.

"Thank you. For coming to get me. I don't know what I would have done if … Thank you. I know you hate me and …"

"I don't hate you Mr. Castle. You're just not my favorite person. You irritate me. But this seemed to be a special circumstance."

"Thanks."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Hours. They had been waiting for hours for the slightest bit of news. But none came. The nurses didn't know anything, they didn't see any doctors coming their way... Ryan, Jenny, Lanie and Esposito had come back, sitting next to Gates along the wall. Rick was in a corner, rolled into a ball, crying silently, waiting for news on the love of his life. Her face was imprinted behind his closed lids.

He must have fell asleep because he woke up suddenly when the chair next to him moved.

"Kate?" he asked, looking frenetically around him. The gang from the precinct looked at him sadly. There was no news. He looked next to him and saw Jim Beckett looking at him too. Jim. He had completely forgotten about Jim.

"Lanie called me." Jim said as if he could read Rick's mind. "She's going to be fine, Rick. My daughter is a fighter."

"I'm so sorry Jim. I tried to get her to stop I swear. But she wouldn't listen and I just … I just left her. I'm so sorry." Rick rambled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Hey, it's not your fault son. I know my daughter, if you couldn't make her stop, no one can. Don't blame yourself, you hear me?" Jim asked, looking at Rick straight into the eyes.

Just as he was about to answer, a doctor came through a door.

"Family of Kate Beckett?"

Rick literally run to him, making his chair fall in the process. Given the face of the doctor, he never had a situation like this one. By the time he recovered from his surprise, the whole group had gathered in front of him.

"Uh, I'm gonna need to know who you all are before I get to share some information."

Gates took the situation in hand.

"I am Captain Victoria Gates with the NYPD. This here is Detective Beckett's father, here is Mr. Castle, her husband, Detectives Ryan and Esposito and friends of Detective Beckett's."

Everyone tried to hide their surprise when Gates called Rick Kate's husband. They all deserved a prize for their acting skills!

"OK, only you two will be allowed to see her for now. She is alive. She just got out of surgery so she's still sleeping but she will be fine." the doctor said. "She was very lucky to fall on that truck. If it had been the sidewalk, she would probably be dead."

"Don't say that! How is she?" Rick asked, tears in his eyes.

"Well, to be clear, almost all of her left side is broken. Shoulder, arm, ribs, hips, leg … She fell on her left side on the truck. It sort of swallowed some of the shock. She was also lucky that her head fell on her arm and not on the truck. She shouldn't have any brain damage but we'll have to wait and check. There is one point we're concerned about though. When she fell, the lower part of her spine seemed to have been dislocated. That the way it looks on her back anyway. We'll have to wait to know more about that. She is badly bruised and we couldn't see anything at the scan."

"What does it mean?" Rick asked, afraid of having the answer.

"Well, if her spine is indeed dislocated, there is a very high chance that she will lose control of her legs." The doctor explained calmly, knowing that it would be hard news for all of them. "She's not awake yet but it shouldn't be too long. I can take the two of you to her room but only immediate family is allowed." he continued, looking at Jim and Rick. "The others, I suggest you go home and have some sleep,it's been a hard day for you too and she will need you when she wakes up."

They all nodded and gathered their things, Jim and Rick following the doctor to Kate's room.

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**so, what do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

Rick would remember this moment all his life. How long it seemed to take the doctor to lead them from the waiting room to the one Kate was settled in! The doctor left them at the door, telling them that they could go in when they were ready but that they should prepare themselves. Kate was in a really bad shape. Both Jim and Rick took a deep breath before the latter finally opened the door. They walked in slowly, desperately wanting to see Kate but even more afraid of what she would look like. Jim walked in first, Rick staying behind to let the father have some private time with his daughter. By the tone of Jim's voice, he could deduce that it was not good.

After a few more minutes of waiting by the door, Rick couldn't bare waiting anymore so he walked completely into the room. He stopped as soon as he saw Kate. She looked so small in the big hospital bed. She was still sleeping but she had an expression of pain on her face. Looking at her body, Rick understood why. She had her left arm in a cast and in a sling to help her broken arm and shoulder. Her left leg and foot were also in a cast. The left side of her torso was encased in what looked like hard plastic pillows which made sure she couldn't move. Under her gown, he could also see bandages around her chest, probably for the broken ribs. He had never imagined Kate Beckett could look so broken and fragile as she did as this moment.

He walked slowly to the bed. Jim was sitting on a chair next to her bed. He quickly dried his tears when Rick approached and pushed the chair along the wall so that Rick could come closer to Kate and touch her. And that's was he did. Rick completely forgot that her father was right next to him. Only Kate mattered. He bent to kiss her forehead and took her hand between both of his. He felt tears gather in his eyes once more but he didn't care. He was holding the hand of the love of his life and he could feel her pulse in her wrist. She might look as if she were almost dead but she was not. He had the proof right under his fingers. He let go of her hand to caress her face and her hair when he felt her stir. She didn't open her eyes but her breathing got quicker and he could see her fingers moving.

"Kate? Can you hear me?" he asked quietly, taking her hand and squeezing it.

As soon as he heard that, Jim ran to the hallway to find a nurse, a doctor … anyone who could help his little girl. When he came back with a nurse, Rick was still at Kate's side, still holding her hand and caressing her face.

"Don't cry Sweetheart, everything is going to be ok." he kept repeating.

When the nurse had checked the machines surrounding Kate, she called for a Doctor Simmons, reassuring both Rick and Jim that she was starting to wake up. Her hand was still gripping at Rick's as strongly as she could.

When the same doctor they had seen before came into the room and looked at his chart quickly, he made both men leave the room and wait in the hallway.

"We need to do some basic tests right now. It wont be long but you'll have to wait outside."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Everyone has different coping mechanisms. Once they knew for sure that Kate was alright and that Rick and Jim had left to see her, Ryan started to cry his eyes out while Esposito was fuming with anger.

"Why didn't you catch her?" he asked angrily at his partner.

For a few seconds, everybody was too stunned by the question to be able to say anything.

"Javi! How dare you ask him that?" Lanie said, completely outraged by the question.

"Well, first he refuses to come with us and then he lets her fall!"

"You don't think I blame myself already? You don't think I know it's my fault if she's here?" Ryan almost yelled at him.

"It's not your fault Kevin." Lanie said, trying to reason everyone. "You did everything you could, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Seriously? I let them down Lanie! They're my partners and I let them down! It's my fault if Kate's here now in a very bad state. She almost died and it's my fault!"

"Don't say that Kevin!" Jenny intervened for the first time. "You tried your best. It's not your fault. Now come on, let's go home and wait for news from Rick." she continued, taking her bag and getting up.

"Yeah, go hide at home, that's what cowards like you do!" Esposito said.

"Javier Esposito you stop that RIGHT NOW!" Lanie exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder. "And you come with me! I'm sorry about that, I'll call you." she told Jenny before dragging the detective out of the hospital by the arm.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

When Alexis entered the loft around lunchtime the day after her graduation, she expected to find her father asleep on the couch like it always happened when he planned a movie night. He was not there though. There were no glass or candy wrappers on the coffee table … apparently, he did not have the movie night he had planned. Maybe he was just sleeping. Alexis decided to go to bed and catch up on the sleep she didn't have the night before. He would come up and check on her, he always did.

After a two-hour nap and a shower, Alexis went back downstairs where she still didn't find any signs of her father. She ventures through his office and in his bedroom. She carefully opened her eyes, not wanting to see anything she wasn't supposed to. He was not there though, and his bed was made. That was not normal.

Alexis took her phone out of her pocket and called his cell … which rang on his desk. She went to pick it up. Her father never went anywhere without his phone. She went to look in the hallway closet to check if his coat was there and it was. Along with his keys and his wallet which were in the pocket.

What the hell was going on?

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**So ... what did you think of this thrid chapter?**


	4. Chapter 4

When the doctor left Kate's room, he let Jim and Rick go back in, telling them that he would come back in a few minutes to ask her question and make sure her memory was ok.

Both men went back in, Kate waiting for them. When Rick approached her bed, she started to cry.

"I'm so sorry Rick, I'm so sorry." she said

"Hey it's ok, don't worry about it Kate. The only thing that matters is that you're ok." Rick tried to soothe her, taking her hand and drying her cheeks

"But you tried to stop me and I didn't listen and ..."

"Kate, don't worry, it's fine. If you really want to talk about it, at least wait until you're better ok?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. They got lost in each other's eyes until Jim cleared his throat.

"Dad." Kate greeted him, blushing when she realized she had forgotten about him.

"Hey Katie." he said, kissing her cheek.

Rick tried to move to give them more space but Kate wouldn't let go of his hand, she only tightened her hold on him.

"You know, your husband here is not going to go anywhere, you can let him go." Jim laughed.

"My husband?" Kate asked, looking at Rick with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh … I ..."

"It's not his doing, really. It's your Captain's. She told the doctor he was your husbands so he could come and see you. I'm telling you because the doctor is going to come in a few minutes to test your memory and I didn't know if you talked about it in your eye language thing." Jim explain, smirking at the two of them.

He was so happy that his daughter was going to be fine that he found himself wanting to play matchmaker. But something gave him the impression that they didn't need him.

"I wouldn't mind if he really was my husband." Kate said.

This made both Rick and Jim look at her with wide eyes. She looked really serious though and she was smiling at Rick.

"What meds did they put you on?" Rick asked, looking at the different bags she was hooked on.

"They didn't give me anything it's just ..."

"I'm going to and wait for the doctor in the hallway." Jim said, leaving them alone in the room.

"I'm serious Rick. I wouldn't mind being married to you. I dreamed several times about it."

"What's going on Kate? Did you hit your head?" Rick asked, confused and concerned.

"No, I'm good Rick, well … considering. This really close brush with death made me think. I wasted too much time already. And you were right, I heard you tell me you loved me when I got shot and I lied to you. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I love you Rick and I don't want to pretend that I don't anymore. I don't want to waste my life. I want a real life, with a husband, kids and maybe even a dog." Kate said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't tell me I'm to late, please." she almost begged.

"You're not too late Kate. I love you and I always will. I'm just shocked by everything you're saying. I'm not used to seeing you this open. What happened Kate?"

"I … I saw my mother when I fell Rick. She was there with me but she was angry. She kept telling me that she didn't want me to lose my life chasing for the person who killed her. She kept telling me that he wasn't worth anything and certainly not my life. That I should move on and live rather that bury myself in her case. She looked really mad Rick, I never saw her like that. It cannot have been a memory, she was there with me. I cannot disappoint her anymore. And if I'm honest, I just want to be myself again!" Kate said, looking at him right in the eyes.

Rick couldn't take it anymore, he literally crashed his lips on hers. He had wanted to do it since the argument they had at her place before he left. Kate was relieved that he hadn't moved on. She didn't know what she had done to deserve a man like him but she would never let him go again.

They were interrupted by the doctor and Jim coming back into the room.

"You should let your wife breathe Mr. Castle, she would get better much faster." the doctor joked. "I'll have to ask you a few questions if you don't mind?" he asked Kate.

She nodded, not letting go of Rick's hand.

"What's your full Name?"

"Katherine Marie Beckett."

"Date of birth?"

"November 15th 1980."

"What do you do for a living?"

"NYPD homicide detective."

"Family?"

"My mother died 14 years ago, my father is James Beckett and he's standing right here. I've been married to Richard Castle for a year. He has a daughter, Alexis, who graduated from high school yesterday and she is going to Columbia next year."

"Oh my God, Alexis! I forgot to call her! She must be worried sick we're not at home!" Rick exclaimed, fishing for his phone in his pocket. "Jim, could I borrow your phone, I must have left mine at home when Gates came to get me. Thanks. I'll be right back." he said, kissing Kate quickly before running out of the room to call his daughter.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"How is she?" Alexis asked as soon as she arrived in the hospital waiting room and she saw her father.

"It's not so bad. She has a lot of broken bones but they can fix them." Rick said, hugging her.

"Dad, there's something else. I know you, I can see it on your face. What is it?" Alexis asked, sounding and looking really worried.

"Her … her spine seems to be dislocated. They're not sure yet because they cannot see properly due to all the bruising but … she could … She may stay paralyzed from the waist down."

Alexis tried to be strong, for her dad, but she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. Kate Beckett may not have been her favorite person of the year but she still didn't deserve what was happening to her.

"Can we see her?" she finally asked.

"Well, she's in a restricted area for now and she'll stay there for a week but then she'll be moved to a regular room and you'll be able to see her. I … uh … Well … Gates told the doctor I was her husband so I'm allowed to see her but you'll have to wait Sweetie, I'm sorry." Rick explained.

"Is she alone right now, because you should be with her and ..."

"She's not alone, her father is with her. She … she said she loved me Lex! And she even kissed me it was … wow … and ..."

""Wow wow wow, too much information dad. Come on, I'm sure you can keep things to yourself. There are certain thing that I certainly do NOT need to hear about. Now, I'm gonna buy a card at the gift shop. Could you give it to her?"

"Sure. But you don't have to Alexis. I know you weren't exactly fond of her these last few months and ..."

"Dad, I like Kate. I just couldn't stand the fact that she was hurting you. But if she finally got her head out of her ass and she makes you happy, then I'm happy." Alexis said, walking out of the waiting room.

Richard Castle realized at that moment that he had two extraordinary women in his life. Because yes … his daughter was a woman now!

* * *

**Hey everyone, how did you like this new chapter?**

**Does anyone knows the real date of birth of Kate Beckett? I couldn't find it anywhere and i remembered something about November 15th or 16th ... if someone has the real date, please tell me so I can change it ;-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, here is chapter 5! i hope you haven't forgotten me ... I'm really sorry for the delay :-(  
**

* * *

After a week spent in Intensive Care, Kate was moved to a regular room. Well, not really a _regular_ one because Rick had made sure she had the best money could get. It was the size of a double room but it had only one bed. The room was bright and furnished. There was a desk, a table and what Kate would call a living room in one corner. She could also see a part of the bathroom the a door left ajar.

"Rick, what did you do? I would have been happy with a normal room." Kate scolded gently.

"I wanted you to feel like you were at home. You're going to be here for at least three months Kate, you need to be comfortable."

"I can't move, Rick. You meant _you_ need to be comfortable." she laughed.

"Well, yeah, that too. I need a certain environment to write good stuff." Rick said, looking at her. "I'll be here every afternoon. And I'm not coming in the mornings only because you forbid me to." he reminded her.

"You need to live outside of this hospital Rick. And the mornings are filled with cares and bandages anyway."

"It's ok, but there's no way you're getting rid of me in the afternoons."

"I don't want to get rid of you." Kate said, smiling. "This bed is huge!" she noticed.

"Well, I asked for a bigger one so I could lay down with you." Rick explained, blushing slightly.

"Well, if you roll me on my side, we could see if we both fit in it right now." Kate proposed.

Carefully, Rick went around the bed, slid her to a side and rolled her on her right side. He joined her in the bed after having removed his shoes. Kate put her head on his chest while he slipped an arm behind her. Since she had her sling removed, she placed her cast arm around him and sighed contently. Rick felt her melt as much as she could around him and he smiled. He had waited for so long for a moment like this. He would never let go of her again. Ever.

The two of them fell asleep in each other's arms, where they belonged.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

They were woken up when their friends came to visit Kate about an hour later.

"Well, I guess something good happened out of all this." Lanie said, smiling when she found the couple cuddled in bed.

Kate, who had been awake for a few minutes but didn't want to move, opened her eyes and smiled at her best friend.

"What did you do to him Girl? He looks like he's in heaven." Lanie laughed, looking at Rick's face.

Kate lifted her head form his chest slowly and looked at him. His eyes were closed but they wrinkled as if he was smiling. His face was calm and serene. He looked like he was completely rested and happy and Kate couldn't help herself. She just had to kiss him softly.

When Kate turned back to their friends, she came face to face with Ryan who hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"I'm so sorry Kate, I'm so sorry." he cried in her neck. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's ok. I'm fine." Kate tried to reassure him, not sure what to do. She had never seen Kevin Ryan in such a state. She tried to hug him back, slipping her cast arm from Rick to Kevin. "You did the right thing Kevin.. You did everything you could. Thank you so much."

Rick woke up when Kate moved her arm. It took some time for him to situate himself. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was an arm, way to hairy to be Kate's. He turned his head to the side and saw Lanie and Jenny smiling at him. He deduced the arm was Ryan's.

When the two detective broke their embrace, Ryan drying some tears off his cheek, Rick slid out of the bed. While Kate was talking to the others, Rick put her back in the center of the bed, on her back. He fluffed her pillows and straightened the sheets around her. She smiled at him when he went back to sit on the chair by her bed.

"Where is Espo?" Kate suddenly asked, noticing his absence for the first time.

At the sight of her friends' faces, she knew something was wrong.

"What happened? Is he ok? Where is he?" she asked, getting worked up.

"Kate, calm down, he's fine." Lanie tried to reassure her. "He had a hard time this week. He blamed himself for what happened and took it out on Kevin but he's better now."

"If he's better, why is he not here? He doesn't want to see me? He blames me for what happen?"

"Kate, don't be ridiculous. He just … needs time." Kevin said.

"Did you talked to him?" she asked.

"Uh … not really. He doesn't pick up when I call. And he doesn't open the door when I go to his place." He said, looking at the floor.

"I broke you up? Oh my God, I can't believe you broke up because of me! You're Ryan and Esposito, Kevin and Javier, you come together! You can't be broken up." Kate almost cried.

"We're not broken up. We're just … on a break."

"It did not end happily for Ross and Rachel, you have to do something about it!" Kate exclaimed.

All the occupants of the room looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Ross and Rachel? As in Friends?" Castle asked, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I said that out loud?" Kate asked, blushing when the three others nodded, big smiled on their faces. "I'm sorry, it's just … every time I hear that phrase I think of them." Kate said, trying to justify herself. "Lanie, could you tell Javi I want to talk to him please? I don't care when he wants to come, I just need to see him."

"Sure Honey, don't worry about that." Lanie smiled.

"Could you also go to my apartment and pick up something for me?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"In my nightstand, there is a visit card from Dr. Burke. Could you bring it with you next time you come to visit? I don't have his number. It was in my phone but ..."

"Dr. Burke, as in your therapist?" Rick asked, squeezing her hand.

"Yes, I think we're in dire need of a group session here." she said, looking at him and Kevin. "And we need to trick Esposito into coming too."

* * *

**So, what did you think of this one?**


	6. Chapter 6

Once Ryan, Jenny and Lanie had left, Kate took a short nap, tired by everything she had just learned. When she woke up again, Rick was talking with Alexis and Martha in the living room part of her room. She looked at them for a few minutes. She loved the family dynamics they had. They fitted perfectly with one another. They completed each other. She couldn't hear what they were talking about because they kept their voices low, probably not to wake her. She went on observing them until Rick turned to check on her and noticed she was awake. She smiled at him when he started to get up.

"Stay there Rick, they haven't seen you much."

"You know what? I have a better idea." He said, dragging the armchair he was sitting on and moving it by her bed.

Martha and Alexis followed his exampled and soon Kate was surrounded by Castles. They included her in the conversation they were having – debating Rick's right to go and check on his daughter on campus whenever he felt like it – as if the situation was normal. Kate felt emotion fill her when she realized that she had been completely accepted by this extraordinary family. Sure, things had been a bit tensed with Alexis since the summer she disappeared on her father but … somehow, she knew they would end up ok. She completely understood that she would need to earn the teenager's trust back but she would do it, no matter what it takes. Because Richard Castle comes with Alexis, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee. Anyone want anything?" Rick asked, looking at his mother and daughter.

"I'm fine, thanks." Alexis said.

"I'm coming with you." Martha said, knowing that her granddaughter wanted to talk to Kate in private.

Before leaving, he went back to Kate and kissed her. Just because he could do it now.

Once they had left and closed the door behind them, Alexis turned around to face Kate. Her face was serious and Kate knew she would want answers.

"What do you want to know Alexis?" Kate asked calmly, patting the side of her bed to invite the young woman to sit down.

"Are you really ok?" Alexis asked, taking in the different casts and bandages.

"I'm fine. Well … not really at my best but there is nothing life threatening. They're taking those off tomorrow actually." Kate said, touching the plastic cases that were keeping her side still.

"And … Dad said you could … stay paralyzed ..."

"Yes. That a possibility." Kate said, feeling tears gather in her eyes. "They can't know for sure right now, they have to wait for my back to stop being bruised." she explained, feeling the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I asked, I ..."

"No, it's ok Alexis. You have the right to know. I just … It's the only thing I … I'm really having a hard time accepting that."

"Do they hurt? Your legs I mean."

"I don't know, I can't feel them. I imagine that's the only advantage of the situation." she tried to joke.

"Do you really love him?" Alexis asked suddenly.

Here it was. The real question. Kate was more than happy to change the subject.

"Yes I do. More than anything." she answered with a smile on her face.

"Isn't it kind of … sudden for a realization that big?" Alexis asked.

"Oh no, it was not sudden at all." Kate laughed lightly. I've been in love with your father since forever. Well, since my mother bought me his first book for my birthday. Of course at the time it was more of a celebrity crush but still. I've loved, really loved your father for a long time Alexis, I was just to stubborn to accept and admit it. You'll see when you meet the right guy. It seems so powerful and so good. But at the same time it's so scary. When I was hanging on he roof, all I could think about was your father. Everything that could have been if I hadn't been so scared of what I knew deep down would be wonderful. I'm aware that I wasted a lot of time and that I made your father wait for way too long and I'm not proud of it Alexis."

"I believe you. And I like you. Well, to be honest I wouldn't nominate you to be elected person of the year but I guess I can understand your reasons. I just … You need to be sure about it. About Dad. Because he can't take another rejection from you. He was really miserable last summer. It was horrible. I can't see him like that again. You have to promise me that you won't leave him. Please." Alexis said, her own eyes filling with tears.

"I can't promise you that everything will be perfect all the time Alexis. But I can swear that I will not hurt him intentionally. And I won't push him away anymore. And if you feel like I'm pulling away, come and tell me. I'm not proud of it but it has become sort of a second nature for me … to run away when things get too serious.

"Oh don't worry about that. You'll hear from me if you try to push him away again." Alexis said, smiling.

Relief was clear in her eyes. Now she would be able to share her father's happiness.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

When Rick and Martha got back in the room, Kate and Alexis were talking about college.

"Hey, what are you two girls talking about?" he asked, sitting back in his chair near Kate and taking her hand.

"Oh, Kate was telling me about all the fun stuff there is to do in college. It sounds awesome!"

Rick almost choked on his coffee when he head his daughter enthusiasm. Knowing that Kate had had a pretty severe wild child phase, he didn't not like the sound of her sharing her experience with Alexis.

"Relax Rick, I'm just sharing the soft stuff with her." Kate said, squeezing his hand. "She can figure the rest all by herself." she continued when she felt him relax.

Jim joined the clan a while later, sharing some of Kate's college stories with them, much to her dismay. She didn't need to know everything she had done in her youth. Things of the past should stay in the past. She couldn't be mad at them for laughing at her expense though. She disconnected herself from the conversation and took in the scene before her. All the people she considered as really close family were here, gathered around her, and that was all she needed to get better. Of course, her mother was not here but she knew she was looking after her. And Kate was sure she would not have the same angry expression she had on her face when she was falling off the roof. She was exactly where she was meant to be. Even if she couldn't help but think that all of them gathered around a dining table would be better than gathered around her hospital bed. But it was better than nothing.

After Alexis, Martha and Jim had left, Rick could finally kiss her like he had wanted too since the visitors had started to arrive. The kiss heated up rather quickly and soon Rick had joined her in the bed. Kate couldn't think of anything else than Rick's lips on her when suddenly, she felt it. She broke the kiss.

"Rick?"

"Hmmm." he mumbled, attacking her neck.

"Rick!" she said, a little more forcefully.

"What?"

"Are you … are you touching my leg?" she asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Uh … yes." he said, looking at her leg to be sure.

"I … I can feel it. Your hand. On my leg." she said, tears spilling out of her eyes and a huge smile growing on her face.

* * *

**So, this is the end ... I decided to end it on a positive note so you can imagine how the rest is going to evolve however you want!  
**

**I'm so sorry for having been such an aweful updater for this story but university is absolutely crazy this year. It's been only three months and I'm already dead on my feet!  
**

**Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the story.  
**


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